Improvement in cigar-machines



JOSEPHINE VVETTSTEIN, OF HIGHLAND, ILLINOIS, ADMINISTRATRIX OF JOHNWETTSTEIN, DECEASED.

IMPROVEMENT IN CIGAR"MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160, L9@, dated March2, 1875; application filed July 21, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that JOHN WETTSTEIN, late of Highland, Madison county,Illinois, invented certain Improvements in Cigar-Machines, of which thefollowing is aspecification:

This machine is intended especially for the purpose of applying thebinder to the filler or lump, and in various respects it may beconsidered as an improvement on Patents Nos. 97,255 and 115,002, grantedto said Wettstein and J. T. Hennaman, dated respectively November 23,1869, and May 16, 1871. In the former cases, special mechanism wasprovided for bunching the tobacco, or furnishing it in proper quantityand form to the rolling device, by which the lumps or fillers werecompressed and rolled into proper form, the said rolling deviceconsisting of an endless belt or belts wrapped around rollers, andwhich, in various modifications, is present in all three cases. In thepresent improvement the special bunching mechanism is dispensed with,the bunch being placed directly into the rolling device, and the binderapplied to it by introduction of the end of the binder and rotation ofthe bunch.

The improvement in the present case consists in, first, the combinationof the movable pressure roller, three fixed rollers, and endless beltwith the curved lever, in whose ends the movable roller is journaled,and the treadle by which said movable roller is forced inward tocompress the bunch. In the Patent N 0. 115,002 this motion was had by asomewhat complicated arrangement, diifering materially from the devicehere shown; the lower rollers, also, in that patented device beingmovable, while in the present case they are fixed.

The second part of the improvement consists in the combination of thedrum, to which the apron-belt is fixed, (and from which it receivesmotion,) a shaft, to which the drum is attached, and pulleys, with rightand left hand belts, which are wound upon said pulleys and extend to theends of a cross-lever on a rockshaft,having an upwardly-extendin g armcarrying aknee-stirrup, by which the drum is oscillated, to causet-hemovements of the apronbelts upon the pressure-rollers in rolling thelump or filler. This construction has great advantages over that of theformer patents, where the apron-belt was actuated by hand.

In the present improvement both of the hands are left free to handle thetobacco, and it is not necessary to stoop to apply the hands to thelever S of Patent No. 97,255, or drum S of Patent No. 115,002.

In the former patents the pressure-rollers lie transverse to themachine, so that their ends are toward the operator; whereas, with thepresent machine, the sides of the rollers are toward the operator, andthey are placed directly in front of the operator, so that, with bothhands free, he can apply the binder to either end of the lump or filler,and wrap it thereon with a right or left hand coil alternately, a singlemotion of the kneelever to right or left sufficing to apply the binderto the lump or filler.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved machine. Fig. 2 is adiagram, showing the operation of the rolling device. Fig. 3 shows therolling device open for reception of a bunch.

Ais the frame. B is the treadle-bar, on which the treadle-O is hinged. Dis the treadle-pitman, connecting the treadle to a lever, E, on arock-shaft, F, carrying two curved arms, G, in whose ends the movingpressureroller Q is journaled. H is a rockshaft, pivoted in the frame,and carrying a knee-lever, I, by which it is rocked. The lever I has aknee-stirrup, J, to receive the knee of the operator. K is a cross-leverupon the rock-shaft H, and to the ends of this lever are attached cordsor belts L, which are coiled around and have their ends attached to thepulleys M upon the ends of the rock'shaft N. The rock-shaft N carries adrum, 0, around which passes an endless belt or apron, P, which issecured to the drum at one point to prevent it slipping thereon. Fromthe drum the apron-belt passes up to and over the rollers Q R, thelatter of which turns in stationary bearings, and the former of which isjournaled in the ends of the arms G. From the rollers Q R the belt Pruns down between rollers S T, which turn in fixed bearings, and fromthe rollers S T the belt extends down beneath the roller U, which isjournaled in brackets V, secured to the frame by screw-bolts W,

passing through slots 0 in the brackets, so as to allow the roller U tobe adjusted to regulate the tightness of the belt P. Xis the feedrestfor the binder, and Y is the table for the tobacco.

The operation is as follows: The operator inserts the lump or fillerWithin the belt, between the rollers Q R S T, and the roller Q is forcedinward, as seen in Fig. 2, by the treadle O, which acts through thepitman D, lever E, rock-shaft F, and curved lever G, to thus close theroller Q on the filler. Then, by movin g the knee-lever I to one side,the bunch is rotated. The end of the binder is then introduced betweenthe rollers Q R, and will be wound around the bunch either in a right orleft hand coil, according to the direction in which the knee-lever ismoved in applying the binder as it lies on the table X. The treadle isthen released, and the roller Q is moved out by the Weight of thetreadle, When the bound filler or bunch may be removed.

The following is claimed as new, and as the invention of said JOHNWETTSTEIN:

1. The movable roller Q, fixed rollers R S T, and belt P, in combinationwith the arm E, rock-shaft F, arms G G, rod D, and treadle G, foradjusting the roller Q, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The drum 0, shaft N, and pulleys M, in combination with belts L,cross-bar K, and knee-lever I J, for operating the drum 0, as and forthe purpose specified.

JOSEPHINE WETTSTEIN, Administratriw of John Wettstet'n, decd. Witnesses:

JOHN BLATTNER, GUsT. BREPPLA, Jr.

